Old McLean County Courthouse
Bloomington
The towers and domes of county courthouses are visual landmarks in town squares across the state. One such structure is the old McLean County Courthouse, which was designed in 1903 by Reeves & Baillie. This stately NeoClassical building served as the county courthouse until a new Government Center was completed in 1976. General county offices were housed in the building until 1990, when it was converted into museum space for the McLean County Historical Society. In 2002, based on the findings of an historic structures report, the county approved a $1.2 million renovation, including restoration of the 100-year-old dome. Original copper ornament was salvaged and reused, as were portions of the limestone base. The clock and its mechanisms were brought into working order and, on Christmas Eve 2004, the tower bell rang out for the first time in nearly half a century.